Journalists and academics bear the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. Scores of them are currently subject to criminal investigations or behind bars. This website is dedicated to tracking the legal process against them.

Information on this website is compiled by Punto24 (Platform for Independent Journalism) from open sources.

Journalists in State of Emergency – 23

On Oct. 18, the owner and two employees of Radyo Karacadağ, a Kurdish radio station shut down by government decree on Sept. 30, were put under arrest, bringing the total number of journalists in Turkish prisons to 130.

Sadık Demir, President of Fırat Press Inc., the company that owns Radio Karacadağ and two former employees of the station, Mizgin Çay and Salih Erbekler, were arrested on charges of “terrorist propaganda” based on a program aired by the station.

The 130 people in prison include those charged and arrested and several others who have been convicted for their journalistic activities. It doesn’t include people who are being held in police custody with no charges, nor does it include those individuals who might have been arrested under State of Emergency without the news of their arrest being published in the media.

Turkey declared a State of Emergency on July 20 to facilitate the investigation into the failed coup of July 15. Since that date, 99 journalists have been arrested. According to data from Gazete Karınca, nearly 2500 journalists lost their jobs, 660 press cards were canceled, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines, 18 TV stations, 23 radio stations, 29 publishing houses and three news agencies were shut down in the same period.

One journalist acquitted in presidential insult case
On July 18, journalist Barış Pehlivan was acquitted in a trial where he was accused of having insulted Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Although President Erdoğan’s lawyers had petitioned the court saying they had dismissed their initial complaint — something Erdoğan did after July 15 in hundreds of insult cases he was pursuing — the court in its reasoned opinion stated that Pehlivan was acquitted “because the offense he is accused of is not criminalized by the law.”

Journalists arrested under State of Emergency as part of coup investigation

Journalists taken into custody as part of coup probe under State of Emergency
Abdullah Alparslan Akkuş, former NTV news editor, Released after being questioned by prosecutor
Arda Akın, Hürriyet reporter, released by court after objection to arrest ruling
Ayhan Şimşek, Released on probation
Bülent Mumay, former Hürriyet digital publicaitons coordinator, released after court arraignment
Dinçer Gökçe, Hürriyet internet editor, Released on probation
Hakan Bülent Yardımcı, Released on probation
Hilmi Yavuz, Zaman columnist, released due to poor health, secheduled to testify later in the investigation
İhsan Duran Dağı, Zaman columnist, Released after being questioned by prosecutor
İskender Yunus Tiryaki,Bugün reporter , Released on probation
Levent Arap, Postmedya.com site executive, Released on probation
Mehmet Gündem, former Milliyet columnist, released after arraignment
Nurullah Öztürk,former Yeni Şafak general coordinator and Zaman columnist, Released after being questioned by prosecutor
Osman Nuri Arslan, FİA finance company partner, Released on probation
Osman Nuri Öztürk, Released on probation
Ömer Şahin ,Meydan newspaper’s former Ankara bureau chief, Released after being questioned by prosecutor
Rasih Yılmaz,Samanyoluhaber columnist, Released after being questioned by prosecutor
Rıfat Söylemez, Adana Haber, Released after arraignment
Taner Talaş, Adana Yerel, Released under electronic monitoring
Yakup Sağlam, Samanyolu reporter, Released on probation
Yüksel Evsen, Adana journalist, Released on probation
Zeki Önal, Not detained due to advanced age and poor health

*Glossary of legal terms used in this text

Detain / Place in custody: To hold in police custody for police interrogation first, and later for testimony to a prosecutor. Might lead to a court appearance depending on the action taken by the prosecutor.

Arrest: To put into prison indefinitely – by court order – pending trial.

Released on probation: Released with an international flight ban issued. Usually entails checking in regularly with a designated police station.

These lists have been compiled by P24 editors from open news sources and will be updated regularly. Journalists who want to report developments about themselves or their colleagues can contact us at punto24info@gmail.com